Chapter 1: New girl on board
The rest of the ship were sleeping while Crais paced command. His body ached from the previous days' trauma, the cybernetic bleed back was getting worse, the sores burning. Talyn had finally given up on all his questions, "why won't Aeryn join with us again? We need her, I need her. How come she needs the human and not us?" Crais had done his best to explain to him, but love was denied to Peacekeepers, so Talyn would never fully understand. It was only when Crais reminded Talyn of the memories he had of his parents that the young Leviathan ceased the questioning.
Crais started to leave for his quarters when Talyn alerted him to some anomalies just ahead.
"Talyn, reduce speed, adjust our course."
As Crais moved closer to the view point a flash of blue filled his vision, he turned away shielding his eyes as it disappeared as quickly as it had appeared. Slowly turning back to the view point "I don't know what it was Talyn, can you scan…" a figure caught his eye, floating lifeless in space. "Talyn, docking web."
Marching off for the docking bay Crais reached for his comms "Attention all, we have an issue, meet me in docking bay 2" Crichton & Aeryn were the first to join him.
Running in "What we got, Crais?" Crichton questioned taking Winona from his holster, Aeryn positioning herself next to him pulse gun already drawn.
"I don't know, there was a blue flash and a figure floating ahead of us."
Aeryn looked at Crais, "the retrieval squad?"
"Doubtful" Crais responded while Stark and Rygel casually rounded the corner just as the bay doors slowly opened.
The former Peacekeepers and Crichton instinctively pointing their weapons as they stood waiting for movement. Stark and Rygel keeping back. With the bay doors fully open, the crew anticipated an attack that never came. They slowly moved towards the bay, when they spotted a lifeless figure on the floor. Crichton, Aeryn and Crais slowly moved to surround the figure. Crais moved towards the body on the floor, still no movement, he looked up at Crichton and Aeryn who nodded taking aim while Crais rolled the person onto their front with his foot.
A female Sebacean lay there unconscious, tiny icicles on her brown hair and eyelashes due to the cold of space and no suit. Frowning, Crais slowly knelt down turning her face upwards, keeping his hand close to her nose "she's breathing…barely."
"Right, any ideas, who, what, where she come from?" Crichton questioned lowering Winona.
Aeryn stepped closer, "Crais, does Talyn know where she came from? Did he sense anything?"
"Yes, well somewhat, we sensed a disturbance, then there was a flash of blue light."
Crichton tilted his head questioningly, "blue light?" looking toward Aeryn "wormhole?" Aeryn shrugged. "Right, you two deal with her. Crais, can Talyn start downloading the data, I'm gonna review it on command."
Crais effortlessly picked up the unknown female, she was athletically built but petite by Peacekeeper standards. He marched towards the medical lab, Aeryn and Stark following. Rygel headed towards the gallery, he hadn't eaten for a couple of arns. Once in the lab, Crais lowered her onto the bed. "Stark gather some restraints, Aeryn, I suggest removing her clothes, they're wet."
"Yes, yes, yes, restraints, yes" Stark fumbled about searching for something to restrain the unknown being.
Crais retrieving the resuscitation mask to help the oxygen flow. Aeryn began to remove the cold, wet tank top from the limp body, lowering her back onto the bed, pausing as she looked at the uncovered undergarment. "Crichton."
"Yeah Aeryn, everything ok?"
"You better come and look" as she looked at Crais returning with the mask.
Crichton left the console in command, running to the med lab, preparing for a fight.
Crais placed the mask over the unknown females' face "what is it Aeryn?"
"I'm not sure, Crichton can confirm." As she finished removing the wet clothes and covering her over with a fur blanket. "Stark, restraints?"
"Here, here" handing some cuffs and binds over, Crais and Aeryn secured her to the bed as a precaution.
Skidding round the corner, "Yo, Jane Doe woken up?"
"No, but look" Aeryn handed Crichton the undergarments over. Stark eagerly waiting Crichton's response, Crais wearing a questioning frown. Crichton reached out slowly taking them from Aeryn.
Looking down and threading his fingers between the strap "What the?" Aeryn placing a hand gently on his shoulder, his reaction meaning her instincts had been correct. Crais scowled, not wanting to believe in what he knew would be the answer.
"Do you know her?" Stark eagerly chirped.
Crichton shook his head "no, but she's from Earth."
Stark smiled. Crais sighed, yet another irritating human to deal with. "How can you be sure?"
Gesturing to the bra he was holding, "This is Calvin Klein, a famous designer back on Earth." Realising he was waving her underwear around he quickly put it down on the side, before walking up to the unconscious human. Looking her up and down, tilting his head questioningly, releasing a long sigh. "How the hell did you end up here without a ship?" Shaking his head.
Crais walked up to Crichton, handing him the satchel that had been attached to the female "maybe you can find more answers to who she is from this."
Pushing it away "dam Crais, you don't go through a chick's handbag!"
Frowning "shick?"
"Handbags are a mysterious thing; us guys don't need to get involved with."
Taking the bag from Crais "Don't be ridiculous John, don't you want to know who she is?" Aeryn began opening the satchel. Pulling out the contents, "know any of these devices, John?" Picking up a rectangle device while Crichton went for the magazine, turning it over to see the front.
"Frell"
"What John?"
"It's a magazine from January 2020"
"What does that mean?"
"I left in 1999, 21 cycles before this date, it should be 2002 now not 2020."
"So, she's from the future?" Aeryn questioned with wide eyes in shock.
Crichton nodded, wracking his brains as to how this happened. How she came though the wormhole? How was it 2020? Was time moving slower for him out here? How did she travel without a ship? Pacing up and down, he stopped at the foot of the bed, resting one hand on the bed, rubbing his eyes, then forehead. The others looking perplexed. "OK, Aeryn, can you wait with here with Sleeping Beauty in case she wakes up, Crais lets go check Talyn's data logs, see what happened."
A couple of solar days passed, Crichton had reviewed Talyn's data logs and determined that a wormhole had brought her to this part of the universe. Much to Rygel's annoyance they had taken it in turns overseeing 'Jane Doe.' Stark came hurrying in to relieve Crais "any changes?"
"No" growled Crais as he turned and left for his quarters.
The human stirred and took a deep breath and sighed with the exhale. Slowly she opened her eyes, blinking due to the blurriness, she closed her eyes again groaning taking a few more deep breaths. Her head was pounding, she tried to stretch, her eyes flying open, when she realised, she couldn't move. Something covered her face which caused the blurred vision. She could hear a voice close but couldn't understand what was being communicated.
"Come, come, she's waking" Stark excitedly commed the others. Crais rolled his eyes turning to return to the med lab being the first to arrive, he really didn't need this. He had located a planet to help heal Talyn, that they were on their way to. He also didn't like the idea of having another human on board. Crichton & Aeryn shortly followed.
Crichton walked up to the bed while the others kept back, knowing humans weren't accustomed with space travel, they didn't want to overwhelm her. "Hey, rise and shine sleeping beauty" gently lifting the mask from her face. "You, ok?"
She groaned, scrunching her already closed eyes, "mmm, yeah, I think. Whe, where am I?"
"Sshh, it's ok, you're safe."
She slowly opened one eye, the owner of the voice slowly coming into focus as she shut it again, blinking both eyes open. When she suddenly caught a clear view of the guy looking down at her, making her jump, trying to sit up again failing against the restraints.
"Hey, hey, it's ok, we're not going to hurt you."
"Oh my god, it's you, why, why am I tied down, how'd I get here? What are you doing here?"
"Crichton, do you know her?" Aeryn questioned
"What, what did you say?" Trying to look up from the bed her head heavy from the throbbing, before groaning and dropping it back down on the bed.
"No, I don't know her"
"Crais, translator microbes"
"I've already instructed the DRDs Officer Sun."
The new human started to struggle under the restraints, hearing a conversation between at least two others but not understanding. "What the hell is going on? Why can't I move?" as she attempted to lift her head again, the shock at who stood before her making her forget the pain. Her mouth dropped open in shock "wow, you're all here, ah, is this really happening, are you filming again? This is amaz…. ouch" as she got injected by a DRD "what was that?"
"Translator microbes, you know us? How? Who are you?"
"My name is Jessica Parker, Jess, and I know you because I'm a fan of the show."
"John, what is she talking about?"
"Show? Who do you think we are?"
Frowning "I don't think, I know; Ben, Claudia, Lani and Paul" nodding towards each of them. Pulling at the restraints again. "Look can you let me out of these, and am I? Can I have my clothes?" Looking down at the blanket realising she was naked underneath.
Crichton looked at the others, this new girl was clearly confused as to who they were. "Um, no, my name's John, John Cri"
Interrupting him, nodding, "yes, yes, ok fine, character names, John Crichton, Aeryn Sun, Bialar Crais & Stark." Looking around "by the looks of it on the set of Talyn, I'm glad you're back" smiling at Crais.
Crais shifted uncomfortably, scowling "back from where? How do you know who we are?"
"Guys, please can you let me up. Where are the cameras?" Jess looked round searching for the cameras and crew, starting to feel apprehensive when it appeared to be a closed off set. Looking back to the others noticing Crais glaring, awaiting an answer to his question. Sighing, "ok, I'll humour you, I know you because I watch the show Farscape which first aired 20 odd years ago, about an astronaut that was sucked through a wormhole, onto a living ship, filled with strange alien lifeforms and he's hunted by an insane military commando, looking for a way home. Happy?" As she dropped her head back onto the bed.
The others looking between her and Crichton, not fathoming how this human knew who they were and John's brief backstory. Crichton scratched his head, "let me get this right, you're a human and watched a TV show 20 cycles ago, named after my module and we're all characters in that show?" Jess nodding. "You see, everything you've said is correct, apart from us being characters, this is us, not some show. I left Earth in 1999, three years ago."
"Don't be ridiculous, you guys are actors on a show. I don't know how I ended up here, I'm sorry for interrupting the scene. If you guys just let me up, I'll get out the way, you can carry on filming, I promise not to give away any spoilers." She was getting a bit irritated, not sure why they'd hold her against her will. Looking up to see the others unimpressed glares staring back at her.
"Ok, if you think you're in the middle of this show Farscape, more details. This is your past so how are we all here on Talyn. How do we know you're telling the truth?"
"Fine, three years, so what, you're on Talyn so middle of season 3? What's the last episode that happened? The last big event?"
"Event? Well we escaped the Budong, the other day, do you know what happened with the Budong"
"Green eyed monster, yeah, one of my favourite episodes, you wrote it" looking straight at Crichton. "OK, Talyn was swallowed, Aeryn took the hand of friendship, Stark & Rygel fed the Budong ice, you set off an explosion, it vomited, Aeryn took out the hand of friendship, Talyn got creative with a data chip, you thought these two hooked up then you two hooked up." Looking around seeing no one was convinced. "OK more?" Crichton smiled. "OK, the data chip, Talyn altered the image at the end and the original conversation. It went more like, well you can have anything you want, anything. Aeryn Sun, are you offering yourself? Crichton, if he's alive, must mean a great deal to you. You can take what you want Crais and I won't stop you. End scene, done." Crais glancing at Aeryn. "What, you want more?" Sighing, "fine, the hand of friendship, it's new it's improved it's the finger of friendship, 19.95, but wait kids there's more. Stark, Rygel vomited on you after he insulted your mother. Want more, Aeryn; Mummy Sun is leading the retrieval squad, as a Peacekeeper you were friends with Henta, Crais; Darinta Larrell, Stark; Scorpius held you prisoner because you know the location of somewhere and he needs that information. You two first hooked up on fake Earth after your first kiss trapped in the Flax."
Crais's brows flinched at Larrell's name and Stark stood with his mouth open in shock. Jess shook her head, this was crazy, she knew they were all actors but their acting was impeccable. Why couldn't she see any cameramen or the director though. Then causing her to hold her breath, Rygel flew in, no puppeteers in sight.
"Oh wow, you've made a fully remote animatronic version of Rygel, where's the puppeteers?"
"Puppeteers? I'm nobody's puppet"
"Yeah, that's not the first time you've said that."
"What, how do you know what I've said, who are you?"
Eyes rolling, "Same reason I know you loved Kellor."
"What? How dare you mention her name, who the yotz are you?" Rygel angrily replied.
"Please can someone let me out of these restraints, so I can get on my way and back to my hotel."
"Hotel?"
"Yeah, I'm on holiday down here visiting some friends, but unfortunately the fires have changed the plans slightly."
"Fires? Where?"
"Oh, for god sake, I love you guys, but this is seriously getting old. Yes, down here, down under, Australia, where Farscape was originally filmed. Can I get my clothes please?"
Aeryn, retrieved the now dry clothes and placed them at the foot of the bed. Whispering towards Crichton "Do you think she's telling the truth?"
Crichton didn't know what to believe, wormholes could potentially cause some time disturbance, but surely, she was from a different Earth where they were fictional characters. "I dunno Aeryn, she seems pretty set on her story and obviously knows some intimate details of our past. I just don't know how she'd end up here. I doubt she's a threat though." With that he removed the restraints, tapping Winona, "don't try anything."
Jess shook her head "thanks" as rubbed her wrists before holding the blanket close to her chest while she sat up, scanning the room in more detail. There really wasn't any crew about, nothing that she could make out to be cameras. Maybe she was just dreaming but then the throbbing in her head eliminated that notion. She looked down at her clothes, looked up at the others raising her eyebrows with an embarrassed smile on her face. Crichton nodded, ushering the others to turn around as she quickly dressed pulling her chino shorts up and sitting back on the bed, "ok, so how did I get here?"
"Talyn brought you aboard with his docking web" Crais replied.
"It would appear you came through a wormhole" Crichton added.
Jess frowned "A wormhole? Don't be ridiculous, 1, there's no such thing and 2 if there was, how did I get to one without a bloody spaceship?"
"That's what we need to figure out. What was the last thing you remember?"
Rubbing her eyes and pinching the bridge of her nose "Um, I went out exploring the coast along the Bondi to Coogee walk so nowhere near your studios in Homebush."
"Look, we're not actors from your show you watched. It's us."
"This is ridiculous, I am not in the real life Farscape, because Farscape doesn't exist, it's a sci-fi show." Jumping off the bed "Where's my phone?" Grabbing it out of her bag and turning it on, entering her pin. Shaking it and holding it up wondering around when she couldn't get a signal. "Dammit" placing it in her pocket. Turning and walking up to Crais "Look Lani, you've got a tattoo on your left upper arm." Pointing to his bicep.
Pulling his shoulders back, clenching his jaw "I have no tattoos."
"Prove it then" tilting her head in a challenging manor.
"I don't need to prove anything to you" glaring down at her.
"See, because you're just actors, not aliens."
"Hey Captain Crunch, just play along. Show her your arm."
"I'm not..."
"Crais, maybe it will help this situation." Aeryn gently encouraged.
Crais sighed, unfastening his jacket, shrugging it off his left arm revealing no tattoo.
Jess glared at his bare arm, then noticing the sores across his chest, there was some older looking abrasions. She always had a soft spot for the character and noticed he was more muscular than expected, his chest broader and arms toned. Shaking her head in disbelief as she stepped closer and reached out grabbing his arm to rub where the tattoo should have been. "No" whispering in disbelief.
"Satisfied?" Crais jerking his arm away before replacing his jacket.
"Paul, Paul, you're mask!" Pointing towards Stark.
Nodding and composing himself preparing to keep his energy in check, Stark unfastened his mask revealing the glowing side of his face before quickly replacing his mask.
Jess stumbled back, confronted by the impossible, her rational mind was searching for solutions but failing her. None of them had aged either, but then again make up these days was impressive, but make up would have rubbed off, revealing Lani's tattoo. She looked round at everyone, Crichton was saying something, but she didn't hear the words through her shock. As he advanced towards her, she took off, pushing past Crais and out the door taking everyone by surprise at the speed of her retreat.
"Crais where's she going? Block her off."
Jess staggered into a DRD that fired at her, ducking out the way and glaring in disbelief, she carried on down another corridor. The others had split up in chase to block her way. Talyn and Crais locked doors on her route. Maybe if they could direct her to the terrace to view the environment she was in, that would help persuade her of where she was. It worked, Jess fell through the door to the terrace, surprised this one was unlocked. As she scrambled to her feet, she stopped dead in awe of her surroundings. Turning slowly, surrounded by stars, everywhere she looked there was stars. Realisation starting to sink in, she sunk to her knees, a single tear trickled down her cheek.
Crais had instructed the others of her location, as Crichton ran in and stopped. Guessing the penny had suddenly dropped in her mind, "Dam, you're quick. Hey, it's gonna be ok. It's not that bad this end of the universe. Common let's get you some food, you must be hungry." As he helped her up from the floor.
Sat around the galley Jess informed them she was from the south coast of England and had gone on holiday to Australia over the new year. Explaining Farscape had ran for 4 series before it was cancelled and the fans campaigned to get a miniseries to finish off some of the stories. That there were big hints last year as to it being rebooted hence thinking she had stumbled onto the set. Showing John her smart phone describing how mobile phones and IT had progressed over the 20 years. Yawning she looked down at her watch, technically it was 2am for her. "Guess, I won't be needing this anymore." Crichton smiled.
"Hey, um, look accommodation on here is a bit sparse." Unsure of where she could stay, Crichton turned. "Crais?"
"I've set up the medical lab with some pillows, my refresher is closest, you may use that."
"Thank you, how do I get there please?"
Crais stood, walking out the door. Jess nodded to the rest "night." As she followed almost jogging to keep up as he marched down the corridor.
"How are you doing?" Jess smiled up at Crais.
"Fine" Crais barked back looking straight forward.
"You sure?"
Crais stopped causing Jess to nearly collide into the back of him. Looking down at her, "why do you ask?"
"Well, only the other day, Talyn inflicted so much pain he floored you with the cybernetic feedback, does it still hurt?"
Crais raised an eyebrow, no one was ever concerned with his wellbeing. "It's manageable." As he carried up the corridor. Pointing towards the constructed quarters for her and carried on to his quarters "you may use the refresher over there, I'll get you a towel." As he placed it on the side he nodded towards Jess before leaving for command.
"Thank you." She used the facilities and made her way back towards her quarters and tried to get comfortable. She soon drifted off but had a restless night. It was noisy and the bed wasn't the most comfortable.
She woke after only a few arns and decided to go for a walk, the corridors all looked the same, she soon realised she didn't know how to get back to her quarters. Talyn had alerted Crais to her wondering and he soon caught up to her just outside command. "Looking for something?"
Jumping at the voice "Oh, no, sorry for waking you. I wasn't looking for anything, I couldn't sleep and now I can't find my way back." Embarrassingly looking down at her feet.
"This way."
"Sorry, I'm just not used to all this noise. Feels like I'm on a cruise ship too, with all this swaying."
"Noise? I suppose I'm used to living on ships. Here" handing her a comm "you'll need one of these."
Smiling and taking the comm "thank you Crais. Goodnight."
A few days passed; Jess was starting to learn her way around Talyn better. She had discussed with Crichton how she came to be flung down the wormhole but neither one of them could come to a conclusion. Jess likened it to the show Outlander, where a world war II nurse was transported back to the 18th Century and then the episode Different Destinations. "So basically, I need to avoid changing anything, otherwise knowing the luck of Farscape I'll screw everything up and make it worse."
"Mmm" Crichton nodding. Painfully remembering the mess, they had left at the Jocacean Memorial.
Jess took herself off to her quarters, she was tired but had no notion of time. No day or night was going to take some getting used to.
Talyn was recovering on the jungle planet. After the sleep cycle, Jess had just finished dressing when Crais boomed over the comms "I suggest you all get up here immediately, Talyn senses have picked up another ship entering the planet's atmosphere, dangerously close."
Jess sighed, "great, here we go…Relativity."